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TBT In The Pros 1.4.19

New year, same results for TBT stars

It may be a new year, but our guys are still balling like it's TBT 2018. From the G-League to Europe to Asia, TBT'ers rung in 2019 with double-doubles, 30-point performances, and rebounds galore. Let's check in on this week's top performers!

Jeff Ayres (Team Challenge ALS) - Ryukyu Golden Kings Okinawa (Japan)

Ayres is having a standout year in Japan after joining Team Challenge ALS in the Super 16 last summer. Over the first 29 games of the season, the big man from Arizona State is averaging 14.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 1.9 apg. In Sunday's 83-42 blowout win over Yokohama, Ayres finished with 16 points, 19 rebounds, and 4 assists. The two teams met again on Monday and it was more of the same from Ayres. In 38 minutes of action, he scored 27 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. Ayres has six years of NBA experience - most notably with the 2014 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

Bobby Brown (CitiTeam Blazers) - Shanxi Zhongyu (China)

No matter if he's playing in TBT or overseas, Bobby Brown is a certified bucket getter. In two games with the CitiTeam Blazers last summer, Brown averaged a team-high 20.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 3 apg. To the surprise of nobody, he's putting up eerily similar numbers in China. Since joining Shanxi Zhongyu in early December, Brown is averaging 21.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 5.8 apg. He had his best game of the year on Tuesday against Tianjin, racking up a stat line of 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Vitto Brown (Big X) - Maine Red Claws (G-League)

After bouncing around the G-League in his first professional season, Brown is quickly making a name for himself in year two. In 20 games for the Maine Red Claws, the 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 13.2 ppg and 5.2 rpg. This is coming off a summer where he averaged a team-high 16.5 ppg and 10 rpg for Big X. Brown had another unforgettable night on Monday, scoring a career-high 30 points on 7-13 shooting from downtown. He also pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. If things continue down this path, don't be surprised to see Brown on an NBA roster sometime soon.

Elgin Cook (Golden Eagles) - KK Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia)

While people will surely remember the dominance of Jamil Wilson and heroics of Travis Diener, don't forget just how good Elgin Cook was for the Golden Eagles in TBT 2018. In the team's run to Baltimore, Cook averaged 14.6 ppg and 4 rpg. He was particularly masterful against Boeheim's Army in the Northeast Regional Championship Game, scoring 18 points on 6-9 shooting from the field and 3-5 from downtown. That success is carrying over to Cook's professional season in Croatia, where he's averaging 12.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg in EuroCup play and 11.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg in ABA action. The Milwaukee native had another solid outing on Wednesday, scoring 14 points and grabbing 7 rebounds against Andorra.

Dominique Jones (Team DRC) - Jilin Northeast Tigers (China)

At this point, what more can we say about Dominique Jones? The Team DRC guard continued to cement his status as one of the best pure scorers in the world on Wednesday with a 40-point, 9-rebound, 12-assist outburst against Jimmer Fredette and the Shanghai Sharks. He's averaging 27.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 7.2 apg in 26 contests this season. Over the course of his TBT career, Jones is averaging 23.6 ppg. That puts him third all-time among players with at least five appearances, trailing only Fredette (31 ppg) and Scott Bamforth (24 ppg).

Ramone Moore (Talladega Knights) - Adelaide 36ers (Australia)

It's been quite the ride for Ramone Moore over the last couple months. In TBT 2018, Moore helped lead the 15th-seeded Talladega Knights to the Super 16. A couple months later, Moore scored 16 points in an exhibition game against the Utah Jazz. That brings us to present day, where Moore is having a great NBL season for the Adelaide 36ers. In last Wednesday's thrilling 103-101 victory over defending NBL champion Melbourne United, Moore finished with a team-high 18 points on 7-9 shooting from the field. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out five dimes.

Ryan Rossiter (Saints Alive) - Link Tochigi Brex (Japan)

Don't look now, but Ryan Rossiter is quickly becoming the deadliest scorer in all of Japan. In 28 games this season, the Siena alum is averaging 23.4 ppg and 12.1 rpg. If that's not impressive enough, consider this: Rossiter has scored 30+ points on six occasions this year and even has a 52-point performance on his resume. His hot season continued on Sunday in Link's 89-85 win over Nagoya. Rossiter scored 30 points and pulled down 13 boards. Something tells us that he will be a hot commodity come TBT 2019.

Terrico White (Armored Athlete) - Perth Wildcats (Australia)

There was only one fitting way for Terrico White to close out 2018: by scoring a whole lot of buckets. That's exactly what he did. The 6-foot-5 guard from Ole Miss scored 22 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists in a 93-78 win over the Cairns Taipans. It's been that kind of season for White, who is averaging 15.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 2.6 apg. His scoring touch was also abundantly evident in TBT 2018, where he averaged 17.7 ppg and 7 rpg in three games for Armored Athlete.